On this episode of Branded, Larry Roberts and Sara Lohse explore the impact of feedback on personal branding. We're opening up about our experiences with getting feedback as public speakers, and how focusing on negative comments have sent us spiraling.

We're talking about recent experiences at the AFCPE Symposium and industry networking events that brought up mostly positive feedback, but single negative comments that got more attention than they deserved. We reveal our personal struggles with hyper-focusing on negative comments and how it affects our willingness to put ourselves out there. The episode highlights the importance of balancing constructive criticism with self-confidence in building a successful brand.

Key takeaways:

1. Dealing with feedback: Both Larry and Sara discussed our personal experiences with dealing with feedback and how easy it is to hyperfocus on the negative comments. It's important to remember that feedback can be constructive and should not be the sole determinant of success or impact.

2. Overcoming rejection hypersensitivity: Sara shares her experience with rejection hypersensitivity as a symptom of ADHD, which causes her to take any potential rejection very personally. It's essential to understand and address the root of such sensitivities and not let them hinder growth.

3. Balancing sales and value: Sara highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between sales and delivering value. Emphasizing the positive impact of one's product or service can help take the "sleaze" out of selling, making it easier to confidently present offerings without feeling overly salesy.

4. Positive impact of products or services: Recognizing the positive impact one's product or service can have on customers' lives makes it easier to confidently present and sell without coming across as sleazy.